Tim Dobos (2017) - Hall of Fame - University of Akron Athletics

Tim Dobos

Induction:
2017
Class:
1989

1985-88
Pitcher

Fate stepped in for Tim Dobos in late summer of 1984. He ran into a local baseball aficionado who had seen him play on several occasions in high school and in the Youngstown Class B League. In the subsequent conversation that aficionado asked Dobos where was he going to school. His answer was a surprise, and Mike Goldstone, the aficionado, vowed to do something about it. He began calling area college coaches and found one receptive ear– Dave Fross at The University of Akron.

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A Canfield, Ohio, native, Dobos drove to Akron to meet with Fross, who indicated he needed pitching but, was out of scholarship funds. He told Dobos that if he walked on and earned his way onto the pitching staff, he would have a scholarship the rest of his career at UA. Fross also told Dobos he had a short window to decide, because classes were beginning in two weeks. From a scenario that almost never happened, Fross kept his word and Dobos turned his performances into a Hall of Fame induction.

When UA lost two veteran pitchers due to injury at the beginning of the 1985 season, Dobos was thrust into more action than normal. According to Fross, “The success of any baseball team is dependent on its pitching quality and depth. Our mound corps will be as green as the Firestone Country Club fairways in June.”

As UA was on the way to its eighth straight winning campaign with a record of 32-28-2, Dobos was called on to pitch in 14 games. He had five complete games, produced the second-best earned runs average (4.08) on the staff, and finished with a commendable record of four wins and five losses.

“It’s a big adjustment to go from high school to college for pitchers,” explained Fross. “In college, you have to use your head, you have to use finesse. Tim was learning early in his career how to pitch and win.”

In 1987, Dobos was accorded first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors, UA’s last year with the conference.

Dobos’ last campaign was his best. He won eight games, second only to Hall of Famer Mike Birkbeck, who had nine in 1982. His 95 strikeouts in a season and his 258 for his career both stood second to another Hall of Famer Dave Young, and Dobos’ 21 victories were third behind those two outstanding pitchers. Dobos concluded his collegiate career with the season record for most innings pitched (95.1 in 1988) and career records for most innings pitched (279.2) and most walks (134).